“Look at what Andre Russell has done for KKR” - When Gautam Gambhir questioned a star Australian cricketer’s performance in the IPL
In an old interview, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir shared how Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell's inconsistent performances over the years forced him to play for different franchises in IPL. The two-time title-winning captain used the example of West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, who has performed consistently over the seasons and been rewarded with year after year retentions by the Knight Riders.
Following Gambhir's comments, Maxwell amassed over 500 runs for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2021 season.
Gambhir told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the 2021 season (via Sportskeeda):
"Had Maxwell done really well in the IPL, he wouldn't have played for so many franchises, to be honest. He's played for so many franchises because he's not been consistent at all. We can't keep talking about 'he hasn't had the freedom' for the previous franchises he's played for… when he played for Delhi, he had a lot of freedom."
He continued:
"Most of these franchises and coaches - because they think he's an X-factor - they want to try and provide him with the best platform where he can succeed. The most unfortunate thing is that despite getting that platform, he has not succeeded, apart from that one season in 2014 where he set the IPL on fire. Had he done that, I think none of the franchises would have released him. Look at what Andre Russell has done for KKR and the amount of time he's spent at one franchise."
"The only reason why a franchise releases you is because you haven't performed. The more franchises you play for, it just shows you haven't really been able to get settled in any of the franchises," he added.
Meanwhile, Glenn Maxwell has reunited with the Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2025. The 36-year-old returned to the Punjab-based franchise after spending four seasons at RCB. Punjab acquired his services for ₹4.2 crore at the mega auction.
Maxwell was not retained by the Bengaluru franchise after scoring just 52 runs in nine innings at an average of 5.7 in the 2024 season. He also bagged six wickets. He had previously played for Punjab from 2014 to 2018 and in 2020. Besides RCB and PBKS, Maxwell has also represented Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) (2012 and 2018) and Mumbai Indians (2013).
How Glenn Maxwell has performed over the years in IPL?
Glenn Maxwell had his breakthrough IPL seasons in 2014 (PBKS) and from 2021 to 2023 at RCB. He scored over 500 runs in 2014 and 2021.
2012 - 6 runs in 2 games + 1 wicket
2013 - 36 runs in 3 games
2014 - 552 runs in 16 games + 1 wicket
2015 - 145 runs in 11 games + 2 wicket
2016 - 179 runs in 11 games
2017 - 310 runs in 14 games + 7 wickets
2018 - 169 runs in 12 games + 5 wickets
2020 - 108 runs in 13 games + 3 wickets
2021 - 513 runs in 14 games + 3 wickets
2022 - 301 runs in 13 games + 6 wickets
2023 - 400 runs in 14 games + 3 wickets
2024 - 52 runs in 10 games + 6 wickets